Record Greenhouse Gas Concentrations

In 2023, greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere reached new records, a phenomenon that, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), will lead to inevitable increases in global temperatures in the coming years. The main gases involved - carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) - have seen significant increases in the past year, warning of a dangerous trend for the global climate. This WMO report, published ahead of the COP29 summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, highlights the urgent need for drastic measures to limit emissions and prevent a major climate crisis.

• Alarming Increase in Greenhouse Gas Concentrations

Levels of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) have increased significantly in 2023, highlighting the impact of human activities on climate change. According to the WMO, CO2 concentrations have reached 420 parts per million (ppm), methane 1,934 parts per billion (ppb), and nitrous oxide 336 ppb. These alarming increases have reached 151%, 265%, and 125% above pre-industrial levels in 1750. CO2, the gas responsible for 64% of global warming, increased by 2.3 ppm in 2023, marking the 12th consecutive annual increase of more than 2 ppm. According to the WMO report, CO2 is accumulating in the atmosphere at a rate never seen before in human history, a situation that, if it continues, could have irreversible effects on ecosystems and human lives.

• Alarm signal

The Paris Agreement, signed in 2015, set a goal of limiting the increase in global temperatures to well below 2°C, and ideally even 1.5°C, compared to pre-industrial levels. But according to WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo, the steady increases in greenhouse gas levels and the delays in reducing emissions are a warning signal. "We are clearly behind the Paris Agreement target," Saulo stressed, calling on political leaders to take urgent action.

• The impact of greenhouse gases

Climate change threatens to alter the natural functioning of ecosystems that have so far helped reduce emissions. Currently, less than half of CO2 emissions remain in the atmosphere, with the rest absorbed by oceans and vegetation. However, climate change itself could turn natural ecosystems from carbon sinks to carbon emitters, creating a "vicious cycle."

For example, forest fires and warmer oceans can reduce the capacity to absorb CO2, while emissions from burning forests can add new carbon to the atmosphere, increasing global warming. WMO Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barret has warned that these processes could dramatically amplify the ongoing climate crisis, further increasing the negative impact on global temperatures.

• Long-term impacts

As concentrations of CO2 and other greenhouse gases rise, average global temperatures continue to reach record highs, impacting both oceans and land. In 2023, global temperatures were the highest since 1850. Because CO2 has a long lifetime in the atmosphere, the current effects will persist in the long term, even if net zero emissions are achieved in the near future. This phenomenon is not only a danger to the environment, but also a direct risk to human health and well-being. "Every part per million and every fraction of a degree of temperature increase has a real impact on our lives and on our planet," stressed Celeste Saulo.

The WMO report is a warning to policymakers and a call for immediate action to reduce emissions and meet climate goals. The COP29 summit in Baku will play a key role in determining the future direction of global climate policies. Without urgent and coordinated action, the effects of climate change risk becoming irreversible, endangering both natural ecosystems and human communities around the world.